Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-09-08
NUMBER 9.

NOMDEn
up, which generally is in the cold, clear
days of winter, for the flax must be
perfectly dry: and now comes the most
important part, and, to my mind, the
dirtiest and hardest part of the work.
A brake is made, as follows: take half
of large oak log about six feet long,
make the flat side smooth, four legs,
two at each end on the round or under
side. When standing on those legs, the
upper or fiat side up, it will be about as
high as your hips. Then bore holes OH
the upper side with two-inch auger,
through the bench about one foot from
each end equal distances apart; mortice
out all that piece of wood from one
auger hole to each end and you have
a mortice about four feet long by o
inches wide-about six mortices, max
ing six Stats. These Stats are brought
to all edge at the upper edge; then you
make the upper half of the brake of
five pieces of plank as long as the NOR
tees, to fit in them; these strips are
morticed in head or heavy piece of
wood and the Stats at the end are let
down in the mortices at the back end,
and an auger hole bored through all
the Stats from one side to the other,
through which bolt is passed, which
makes hinge which holds the two
posts together. A handle is put on the
head and you raise the head up
and down like opening and shut
ting a knife. With your right hand
you raise the upper half; with the left
you hold handful of flax, and with
the right you raise and fall the upper
half just like trip-hammer, and with
the left you keep turning the flax over
and over, back and forward, until the
woody substance is all broken; then
change ends and brake the other end
of the flax. After it is broken a man
with plank standing on one end, with
the top made to an edge, takes tn e
handful of flax and holds it over the
top of the board and with two-edged
knife made of good tough hickory wood
and about two feet long strikes down
stroke against the flax, which knocks
the woodey substance out and with
repeated and rapid strokes soon has
that end of the handful clean. He
then changes ends and treats the other
end the same way, and so on until the
whole crop is cleaned.
The fibre is now ready for the hackle,
which is made of small steel spikes
made very sharp at the point. These
spikes, which are about six inches long.
are driven through strong piece of
plank and made as close together as
can be made-fifty or sixty of these
teeth-points all made level on top. It
is now fastened to some solid substance.
You take handful of fax that has
been scotched and draw it through the
hackle to straighten out the fibre and
clean out any of the wood that has not
been got out before. Now that the flax
has been cleaned, it passes into the
deft hands of the spinner. A flax
wheel is an institution of itself. Take
a flax wheel and a party of spinners,
with the hum of the wheel and the
soft, sweet voices of the spinners, and
it would calm the most savage breast
to peace. Ah, how often when child
[ have sat and watched my old grand
mother sit at her wheel and deftly
draw out the tiny flores, and as they
passed through those fingers, she ev-
cry few moments dipped them In a little |
gourd full of water hung to the distaff,
on which the head of fax was put, and |
regularly her foot rocked on the trea die |
of the wheel, and that voice sang in
low, sweet tones, blind Bartemus,n
Glowing Kindness" how good and
sweet it all seemed to me; and after the
flax was all spun and woven in all the
various forms of cloth, with all the
various uses, to see those long webs
put out on the ground to bleach-how
forcibIy it brings up the words of the
wise man when he said, "Who can
find a virtuous women? for her price
is far above rulers. She taketh wool
and flax and worketh willingly with
her hands. She riseth also while it is
yet night and giveth meat to her
household, and portion to her maid
ems. She layeth her hands to the
spindle and her hold the distaff" No
better tribute could he have paid to
woman, for she is above praise.
And then the seed. Look over the
world and see all the cities, towns, viii
lagos and the houses, rail cars-all
painted with the oil that is pressed
from these little seeds. They call Cot
ton King. Can any one tell me where
cotton was ever spoken of in the bible?
And can any one tell me where cotton |
was first used for clothing. or for any
other purpose? No, I do not think
cotton is entitled to the honor of king. |
/ think flax is king and queen in one.
And then after the oil is extracted, the |
oil cake is used for feed for cattle. |
Should you burn yourself, put on lin
seed oil to take the fire out. Should |
you get something in your eye, put q
fax seed in your eye aud it will bring
it out. Even the shives are one of the |
txn,< ,,o,> o1,.3notor, <,f Ioot